Because my character has considerable pride in what she's been taught, I've tried to play really severe defeats as crushing to her psyche. She developed an intense fear of being bound after the first time she was just totally outclassed by an enemy, and insecurity over her inability to manipulate aether after being taught there was an entire second hemisphere of combat arts she had little understanding of. This is not to say that physical consequences haven't been severe. I find making lasting changes can be effective and reminds people of where she's been, and temporary changes that actively modify your play schedule and ability to do things can be effective at driving home how serious things have gotten. Like with Virara, I had her stay in the infirmary and only go outside with aid from others for two weeks real world time after getting gratuitously cut up and and then bashed and burnt due to an FC and character plot piling up within the same span of time. I even implied that the time hospitalized would have been much longer had she not been unnaturally hale. Nevertheless, she was weakened considerably and only pushed herself to go out and fight two weeks in a row due to stubbornness and an intense desire to aid someone. The injuries faded with time, though there is still some scarring, but her fear of being tied up, and her anger at being unable to use magic, probably will never go away.
This is interesting to me because I actually also am really fixated on the consequence of victory, not just defeat. If Virara wins too handily, whether in play by post or dice, I want that to be significant as well, and not in a good way. It can make someone complacent, or callous, or even negatively affect their sanity. In at least one case Virara rolled too well and just outright killed an NPC in one blow, when she was attempting to "be good" and spare him for another character's sake. I implied this has happened before too. When these things become common place to a person, it changes them. The more she learns, the more of her identity is warped into a mechanism designed purely to express her martial art. I want players to feel anxious about the possibility of their character or character's friends getting stronger and actively dread the idea of shaving off pieces of themselves for expediency or potency. As for me, I hope it becomes undesirable for others who are close to Virara to see her become more vicious, more skilled, less compassionate. But at the same time, I want them to think that if she doesn't do that, probably her life is forfeit. I would be overjoyed if a character came to see her strength as convenient and yet felt intense guilt over that expectation. If I could give anyone that impression even once, I'd feel very accomplished and happy.
This is interesting to me because I actually also am really fixated on the consequence of victory, not just defeat. If Virara wins too handily, whether in play by post or dice, I want that to be significant as well, and not in a good way. It can make someone complacent, or callous, or even negatively affect their sanity. In at least one case Virara rolled too well and just outright killed an NPC in one blow, when she was attempting to "be good" and spare him for another character's sake. I implied this has happened before too. When these things become common place to a person, it changes them. The more she learns, the more of her identity is warped into a mechanism designed purely to express her martial art. I want players to feel anxious about the possibility of their character or character's friends getting stronger and actively dread the idea of shaving off pieces of themselves for expediency or potency. As for me, I hope it becomes undesirable for others who are close to Virara to see her become more vicious, more skilled, less compassionate. But at the same time, I want them to think that if she doesn't do that, probably her life is forfeit. I would be overjoyed if a character came to see her strength as convenient and yet felt intense guilt over that expectation. If I could give anyone that impression even once, I'd feel very accomplished and happy.
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AV by Kura-Ou
Wiki (Last updated 01/16)
My Balmung profile.
AV by Kura-Ou
Wiki (Last updated 01/16)
My Balmung profile.
